Keeping fabric on grain when starching
 

When I starch fabric I end up with yardage or pieces being off grain. It seems like when I press the fabric, the fabric moves under the iron which pushes the fabric off grain. Or if the fabric is damp and I lay it on the ironing board, I can't get it straight to begin with. Seems like everyone starches, so I feel like I'm brain dead. I don't seem to have this problem when I use Best Press. Any suggestion would be appreciated!

Do you preWash your fabric? I have had some starch/iron distorions from uneven fabric shrinkage on fabric I had not prewashed. After I started prewashing I have not had the issue. Just a thought.

What kind of cover do you have for your ironing board? I have canvas which helps
grab the fabric when I'm ironing. When I starch I roll my fabric in towels and iron
when it's damp with a silicone sheet on top so my iron stays clean. When it starts
to dry then I move my iron parallel to the selvage. I think ironing the other way
distorts the fabric. Hope this helps.

Are you using spray starch or something else?

With spray starch, especially if I have not pre-washed the fabric, I can get distortion from uneven spraying. Since I usually do not pre-wash fabric, that is one of the reasons why I don't like to use spray starch at the ironing board. I have also found that I can get distortion if I try to iron while the spray starch is damp.

My preference is to iron only after starch is completely dry. To re-activate the starch, I iron with steam.

I'll get a bit of stretching/distortion when ironing but I don't worry about it much when ironing yardage or large pieces. I always square up my ends prior to subcutting so no worries there. I use sta-flo liquid starch mixed at a 50-50 ratio. I do let it absorb into the fabric for a few minutes prior to ironing but do not wait for it to dry completely. I also use steam when I iron. I'll sometimes get a bit of distortion as well when ironing/pressing blocks or their components but I always trim before continuing so that usually is not much of an issue either. Just one of many reasons I am not a prolific quilter!

Are you pressing the fabric along the length of grain? I have the problem you describe when I move my iron across the width of the fabric.

I also was having problems with distortion when pressing after starching. Found if I pressed with the grain instead of from selvedge to selvedge I had less distortion.

I'd stick with Best Press. Also, I do better when I smooth/press seams first with my hand and use a "wooden iron".

Agree with the others, when I iron yardage I always move my iron with the length of the grain. When I need to move the iron over to do the next area, I pick the iron up and move it over.

I don't worry about small distortions.

I use spray starch and let it saturate the fabric. If I let it dry, it'll dry off grain. Steam doesn't get it to straighten out. If I re=dampen the fabric, I still can't get it straight on grain. My ironing cover is canvas. If I starch a finished block, I don't seem to have the problem. I don't think I'm very picky about it being absolutely perfect, but it gets waaay off. A lot of people use starch. Maybe I need to find someone local and ask to see them starch/iron.